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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27846722">Stay Stay Stay</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/supposedly_archer/pseuds/supposedly_archer'>supposedly_archer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Fluff, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, M/M, One Shot, Other, Reader-Insert, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:46:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,692</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27846722</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/supposedly_archer/pseuds/supposedly_archer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce watched as a name was written on his wrist, slowly and painfully. His soul mark had left his skin red, raw, and itchy. He sat there for the longest time, reading the name etched on his skin over and over. <em>Y/N.</em></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bruce Banner/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>97</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stay Stay Stay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is kinda messy ngl, but I had a lot of fun writing it!!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bruce hadn’t expected to meet his soulmate at a coffee shop. </p><p>To be honest he hadn’t expected to meet his soulmate at all. </p><p>He was working on one of his P.h.D’s when his soulmate’s name first appeared on his arm. Writing a paper on some subject he can’t even remember now when he felt a sharp, burning pain on the inside of his right wrist. It caused him to drop his pen on the floor and clutch his wrist with his opposite hand tightly.</p><p>Bruce watched as a name was written on his wrist, slowly and painfully. His soul mark had left his skin red, raw, and itchy. He sat there for the longest time, reading the name etched on his skin over and over. <em>Y/N.</em></p><p>He knew that soulmates sometimes appeared later in life when their soulmate was born. But it normally happened when people were children, not when they were adults<em>. </em>The latest he had ever seen someone get their soul mark was in middle school. </p><p>For years, Bruce chose to ignore his soul mark. Covering up the name with long-sleeved shirts and wristwatches. It wasn’t unheard of for someone to not have a soul mark. And especially after the Hulk showed up in his life, he did his best to ignore it. </p><p>Whoever they were, wherever they were in the world, Bruce didn’t want them to get hurt. So, he hid away his soul mark from everyone. To protect them. </p><p>Only Tony knew, but of course Tony knows everything. “You do realize that you’re gonna have to face the music one day.” He had said to him one day out of the blue. Bruce had had his nose buried in an old SHIELD file. </p><p>Bruce looked up at Tony quizzically. “What do you mean, <em>face the music?</em>” Tony sighs and gestures with the spoon he was using to eat a cup of yogurt. </p><p>“Your soulmate. Those things work in mysterious ways, Bruce. You’re gonna meet them one day, and then what? It’s not like you can hide away from them.” Tony takes a final bite of his yogurt, and Bruce sighs. </p><p>“I’ll deal with it when I get there.” He mumbles, focusing his eyes back on the file. </p><p>Tony sighs. “It might be sooner than you think green bean.” He throws the now empty yogurt cup at Bruce’s head. It hits him gently on the forehead and drops to the floor. Bruce looks up and glares at him. Tony shrugs his shoulders, turning on his heel to exit the lab. </p><p>“Asshole,” Bruce grumbles under his breath, but Tony’s words had stuck with him. Fate always had a funny way of bringing soulmates together, no matter the circumstance. </p><p>Bruce looks down at his wrist, where his watchband covers the name Y/N. He takes off the watch and places it to the side. He runs his thumb over the black inscription repeatedly. </p><p>Over the years he had wondered what his soulmate was doing. Were they in school? Were they learning to drive? Were they thinking about him? Bruce knew exactly how old they were, he had been counting the days and years since his mark was first etched into his skin, even if he wasn’t doing it on purpose. </p><p>***</p><p>You quickly tie your apron behind your back as you exit the break room and walk into the main part of the cafe. You take your position behind the cash register, where a long line of customers is waiting. </p><p>You give the first patron your best customer service smile and apologize to him. You take his order and hand it off to the coworker that’s just appeared at your side. The next two and a half hours is a whirlwind of orders and customers as you try to keep up with the demand. </p><p>There’s eventually a lull of patrons and you lean against the counter and sigh. You glance at the watch on your wrist, but then you remember that the strap had broken suddenly last night, and you either needed to get it fixed or replaced. </p><p>Instead of gazing at the clockface as you normally do during work, you instead gaze at your soul mark. You had read it about a billion times during your life, even though it was an incredibly simple name. <em>Bruce. </em></p><p>You had always imagined how you meet <em>Bruce, </em>your soulmate. A walk in the park, or a sudden run-in on the subway. But, you didn’t have any time to focus on that right now. You still had to finish school and find a decent paying job that <em>wasn’t </em>dealing with middle-aged mothers with bad haircuts. </p><p>You’re snapped out of your thoughts at the bell that signals a new customer. You smile at her as she makes her way to the counter. You take her order and hand it off to Bradley, one of your coworkers. The rest of your shift consists of the same ordeal. Taking orders and trying not to scream out loud.</p><p>After what felt like 3 days, you’re just about to untie your apron and take refuge in the break room when you hear the bell. You almost want to run off and pretend like you’re about to be sick, but something in the back of your head tells you to stay. </p><p>You smile at the man who’s just walked in. He has curly dark hair that’s graying at the sides and is dressed like he’s about to give a lecture at your college. He makes his way up to the counter and quickly looks up at the menu that hangs above and behind you before beginning his order. </p><p>It would’ve just been another order you’d immediately once the customer, but it was 6 coffees and 10 different types of pastries. You raised your eyebrows at him once he’s finished rattling off his order, and he lets out a mix of a sigh and laugh. </p><p>Your eyes meet for a moment, and you feel a sudden electrical zap in your wrist. You grab at it and by the way the man reacts you know he just had the same experience. You’re both rubbing at your wrists when you realize that it’s the wrist that has your soul mark written on it.</p><p>You lock eyes with the man and after an impromptu staring contest his eyes flick to your nametag where they stay focused. Your heart’s beating wildly in your chest and you look to the man’s, <em>Bruce’s, </em>wrist, but he has a watch on. </p><p>Everything that happened afterward was a mess of awkward introductions and trying to focus on whatever the hell he had just ordered. It was a blur of rushing to the break room to rip off your apron and rushing back out to where Bruce was now holding his numerous coffees and pastries. </p><p>It was a blur of exchanging numbers and trying your best to make plans to meet up at a better time. It was a blur of awkward goodbyes and Bruce almost dropping his box of pastries when he tripped on a crack in the sidewalk.</p><p>The next time Bruce saw you was more planned out, you met in a <em>different </em>cafe on a Friday that you both had off. Bruce had been taken aback by how <em>easy</em> it was to talk to you. It was like he had known you his whole life instead of just one week. </p><p>You had found yourself thinking the same thing. You had never been the most outgoing or charismatic person, but with Bruce, the conversation flowed naturally and it felt like you were in your own little window of time with him.</p><p>***</p><p>It didn’t feel like it had been a full year since you’d met your soulmate when you were laying on your couch in Bruce’s arms, back pressed against his chest, arms wrapped around you snuggly. To be honest, it felt like somewhere between a minute and an eternity.</p><p>You look up at him and smile, pressing a light kiss right underneath his chin. Bruce honest to God <em>giggles </em>at your show of affection, and you giggle back as you turn so your chests are pressed together and you can look him in the eye. </p><p>“Hi,” you whisper to him.</p><p>Bruce whispers back, “hi.” He lays a hand on the small of your back and begins tracing random patterns with his index finger.</p><p>“I love you,” you say to him, scanning his face. He smiles and places his other hand on your back. </p><p>“I love you too,” Bruce whispers back. </p><p>You sit in comfortable silence, basking in each other’s presence. You focus on Bruce’s heartbeat that you can feel beneath you and how your breathing has synchronized with his.</p><p>“Will you stay with me?” You ask Bruce quietly, breaking the silence. He quirks his head to the side, confused by your sudden question.</p><p>“I can stay the night if you want me to, angel, but I have work in the morn-“</p><p>You cut him off, “no. I mean like.” You bite the inside of your cheek and look away from Bruce’s face when you pause. “I mean like, forever.” Your last word is barely above a whisper, but Bruce can hear it loud and clear.</p><p>“If this is some marriage proposal, you know I can’t-“ he stops and begins to sit up, pulling away from you.</p><p>You sit up as well so you’re no longer touching and shake your head vigorously. “No, no, no. It’s not a marriage proposal, Bruce. Just, just a promise. A promise that you’ll stay with me.” You finally look up at Bruce, who has his brows furrowed tightly together, looking at you intensely.</p><p>After a beat of silence where all you can hear is your own heartbeat, he takes your hand in his and places his thumb on his name that’s inscribed on your wrist. “Of course I’ll stay with you, Y/N. I’ll stay as long as you'll let me.” You notice that his voice cracks at the end. </p><p>“Does that include forever?” You ask him quietly.</p><p>Bruce smiles at you and squeezes your hand tightly. “It includes forever, angel.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>find me on tumblr: @banner-swift</p></blockquote></div></div>
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